Howling at the Night Sky
by chaylynn
Summary: While hunting with the pack Daine comes across a strange smell. Will she give up her pack mates to follow the black crow out of wilderness to rejoin society and remember what she lost? When forgotten memories and hard lessons come together, sometimes all you can do is let loose and howl at the night sky.
1. Chapter 1

Silvertooth had been antsy all day, with the pups a day older, the move was getting closer. An early morning frost covered summers dew as the days got shorter and summer fell into fall. Lightfoot scouted ahead, his nose to the ground sniffing out a meal for the pack. He had caught a scent of a deer, and now we followed him, salivating at thoughts of our next meal. We made our way through the forest. As we continued onwards the earth sloped and the smell of damp soils and grassy water weeds reached our noses. We had found the deer's watering hole, and with it would come the multitude of other animals that drank from its depths.

We separated, slowly slipping amongst foliage, our tummies brushing the ground, our senses on alert. I loop around the pool, aware of my pack mates, as I perch downwind, and slowly make my way towards them, through the swampy weeds. We converge around a heard of caribou, not the deer we had been tracking but between the four of us, we could likely be feeding our pups an unlucky member of this heard by tonight. Our haunches pulled in tight brushing against grasses, my paws wet from the shallow swamp water, as I slowly inch toward the heard, waiting for Silvertooth to make the first move. Senses on alert, a sudden shift in winds brings a new smell to my nose, that has my ears twisting and my nose wrinkling. The changing winds has also taken away the surprise of our attack, and our prey become aware of the threat that they face. The flighty animals, smelling a predator take off, hoping to escape from a pair of chomping jaws. The pack is now in pursuit, take off after our meal.

My instincts tell me to join in the hunt, to get swept away, to satisfy the hunger in my gut. The smell has caught my nose, and something clicks within my mind, I dismiss my pack not realizing the oddity of my actions. Curiosity and apprehension follow me as I track the dark copper smell. I follow my nose. It isn't long until I find myself too close to the scent of two leggers. I can tell as their unbroken human scent arises from a well worn trail not too far away. I have gotten too close. I inch away, uneasy being so close to civilization, instincts pushing me away back into the welcome embrace of the forest.

As I turn to go and rejoin my pack brothers in their hunt, a shrill "caw" alerts me. Whipping around, I nervously approach where the noise had come from. The smell of copper and dark nights grows as I approach a fallen tree. Dismissing the threat of two leggers so close, I follow the scent and now the small fluffing of feathers , to a fallen tree. Apprehension bubbles up within me, but a strange feeling washes over me as I disregard my instincts. The instincts that proved life saving during my time in the pack, and maybe even before. A wiggling feeling in the back of my mind, something trying to get free, it gives me the courage that I need. I slowly lift a paw into the fallen trees crevice, where the noises and smells seem to be originating from.

An indignant "caw" is repeated as I brush against something soft. Taken by surprise I jolt back, taking steps back in fright. It takes me time to bring up the courage to go back to the log. With the utmost care, I move to take the strange smelling creature out of the log to further investigate. Carefully, like I would with a new born pup, I inch the creature out, and lightly pick it up in my mouth.

Despite its strange acquiescence to movement by my paw, it seems displeased by its new form of transportation within my mouth. Flutter wings and fluffing feathers bat my face, while I attempt to keep my light hold on the creature without letting it get away. Despite the fuss, it stays put, when I gently release it onto the ground.

The black feathers and sharp beak say that it is a winged brother. The strange eyes, and peculiar smell, however point to a different story however. The creature seems to be in pain though, and remains mostly motionless despite the ragged movement of its chest. It stays were I have placed it despite the imminent danger of a predator in its midst.

Puzzlement flows through me, it takes me off guard and with it comes questions. Questions I have never had to consider, new ideas and thoughts that have no right in a mind of a wolf. What was this creature, if it looks like a winged brother but smells like a two legger? And magic. Lots of magic. Magic swirled within its eyes, the inkiest black of the pupils dripping into the hazy and out of focus eyes of sickness. Even its breathes were laboured and stuttered. Death would not be too far away for this creature. With that thought came more questions and apprehensions.

Disliking the path of these new thoughts, Daine shook her head and came to the conclusion. Silverfoot would know best. When in doubt the alpha of the pack was always right. Settled if not a little antsy, Daine lowered herself to lie amongst the tall grasses. Keeping an eye on the strange creature while waiting for her pack to find her once they finished the hunt.

The sun was beginning to make its way towards the horizon when the pack finally came yapping back to find their missing pack sister. Hearing them, Daine barked a welcoming warning to the others, The hunt had gone well, and with Sharpclaw proudly bringing an already worked over carcass home, with full tummies, the pack would sleep well. Already frustrated and missing his pups Silverfoot was not in a gentle mood.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

The pack had left, with the big move coming up they had waited as long as they could for their pack sister to leave her new feathered companion, or at the very least for it to die. Neither had happened, although Silverfoot had pushed Daine to do so. The pack couldn't understand the connection that their pack sister had made with a meal. They nuzzled and crowded around her as they yipped their goodbyes. She would catch up with them once she was done with the bird. It would be a hard journey by herself but without having to care for the pups, she could handle it. Silverfoot was not happy to say goodbye to their pack sister, but when no amount of prodding and pushing would do it, they gave in to Daine's stubbornness and let her have her way.

As the pack left to continue their journey, Daine questioned her motives. Even she was not sure when she would leave the bird. The pack had hunted and protected Daine, while she watched over her new self appointed responsibility. But as the pack moved away the realization of being all alone descended upon her mind. She hadn't left the pack since she joined it all those years ago. They had been her support and family, when hers had been taken away-and she had gone and thrown it away, for a strange bird, for Mithros sake! With a huff she shook her head and resolved to catch up with the pack. It would be a hard run but she could do it.

She trotted away, following the packs scent on the breeze. It was just a bird! It had brought with it nothing but strange thoughts and worry. She picked up her pace, her mind lingering on the new flow of strange thoughts that had recently made an appearance within her brain.

She came to an abrupt stop, when a meandering badger crossed her trail. Normally, small rodents and prey zipped away, scenting the predator that existed within Daine. Not this badger apparently. Daine snuffed at the badger, confused by its idiotic bravery in the face of a predator. The badger glanced Daine's way, with an indignant look it meandered closer to her. Standing on its hind legs it quickly bonked her on the tip of her snout with a claw, and then continued on its way, never picking up its meandering pace.

Daine, astonished and shocked, watched as she was abused by a walking snack, unable to move due to the bizzarity of the situation unfolding in front of her. It wasn't until the badger was out of sight, within the forests foliage that conscious thought came back to her.

Slowly, mind still on the bizarre interaction that had just taken place, Daine returned to her bird companion. Still waiting where she had left him, the bird watched as she returned to the clearing, and lay down a few feet away from him. returning his gaze.

It was then that she wished her pack back, at least to discuss the strange events of the day, or to feel their heat as they prepared for sleep. Looking back at the bird, the cause for all of this. This winged brother would have to be enough. She wished that this new pack could at least communicate, but the silence she felt from him was not that of any normal wilderness dweller.

Daine and the bird spent several days exchanging glances. Daine was uncomfortable leaving the bird for any significant period of time. This meant that meals had to be a fast affair. Local rabbits and the occasional deer sustained Daine, and the little that the bird ate. He largely refused any meat that Daine deemed ok for him to eat. His picky eating habits forced Daine to go out searching for berries and the occasional mushroom, and present it to him as he occasionally nibbled like a snobby monarch.

Daine was un phased by the uncommon direction her thoughts were taking. Never before had she thought about the foliage that surrounded her constantly as food. Blood and guts were food, not leafs and twigs. But isolated as she was, she did not consider the implications.

The days began to become patterned but within several days a cold front had found them. Food was moving away, as the cold grew closer, the twigs that had sustained her companion were withering away, and her winged brother was taking a turn for the worse. The little that Daine could scrounge for him was left uneaten and a rasp could be heard from the weak exhales of his lungs.

Disliking leaving her new pack brother alone, the occasional rabbits that had been sustaining her were not enough. Hungry and tired, Daine scavenged the surrounding finding little to feed either her or her companion.

As dawn broke, the next morning Daine left her companion in search of food. She didn't want to go too far, but began following her nose searching for a meal amongst the trees. It was only a little while later that the shifting winds brought a new scent on them. Daine's hungry nose picked up the scent and immediately had her ears pitching downwards, sleek against her skull in wariness. Fur raising, she held in the growl that threatened to erupt.

Humans were close by, too close by. Instincts told her to flee, but she had had enough practice within the last days to dismiss those thoughts. Rather curiosity took held, and Daine found herself inching towards the smells, human sweat, and large warm earthy smells of their load baring horses.

 **A/N: Leave a review I always like hearing your thoughts, comments and questions! Who are these new visitors I wonder?**


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